November 18, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives on Wednesday gave its nod for the establishment of a South-South Development Commission (SSDC).
The approval is sequel to the consideration of the report by the House Committee on Justice on Tuesday.
The SSDC legislation is titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish South-South Development Commission charged with Responsibility to Receive and Manage Funds from the Federation Account Allocation and Other Sources, Donations, Grants and Aids for the Integration, Development, Resolution of Infrastructural Deficit, Militancy, Communal Crisis as Well as Tackle Ecological and Environmental Problems; and for Related Matters.”
Rep Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP, Rivers), who sponsored the bill, in his lead debate said the Commission would be saddled with the responsibility to receive and manage funds allocated from the federation account and other sources, donations, grants, aids for the integration, development, resolution of infrastructural deficit, militancy, communal crisis as well as tackle ecological and environmental problems.
He stated further that the Commission would also serve as a springboard for the engagement, integration and development of the South-South region as well as resolve issues of infrastructural deficit.
The House had in October passed bills seeking to establish a South-East Development Commission (SEDC), South West Development Commission (SWDC), North Central Development Commission (NCDC) and a North West Development Commission (NWDC).
The SEDC legislation is titled: “A Bill for an Act to Establish the South-East Development Commission to serve as a Catalyst to Develop the Commercial Potentials of the South East, Receive and Manage Funds from Allocation of the Federation for the Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reparation for Houses and Lost Businesses of Victims of the Civil War, and Address any other Environmental or Developmental Challenges; and for Related Matters..”
The SWDC proposal is titled, “A Bill for an Act to Establish South–West Development Commission charged with Responsibility, among others, to Receive and Manage Funds from Allocation of the Federation Account, including Donations and Gifts, the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Roads, Houses and other Infrastructural Damages Suffered by the Region and the Need to Tackle the Ecological Problems and any other Related Environmental or Developmental Challenges in the South West States; and for Related Matters.”
The NCDC legislation is titled, “A Bill for an Act to Establish North Central Development Commission charged with Responsibility among other things to Receive and Manage Funds from Allocation of the Federation Account for the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Roads, Houses and Other Infrastructural damages suffered by the Region as a result of the effects of the Communal Crisis as well as tackle the Ecological Problems and any other Related Environmental or Developmental Challenges in the North Central States; and for Related Matters.”
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